Las Vegas Weekly

February 5, 2012 · 6:39 PM

Photos: Cheryl Burke hosts go-go contest at Tao; Heidi Riego wins $10K

By Don Chareunsy

Cheryl Burke, with Apolo Ohno, hosts Tao a Go Go at Tao in the Venetian on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012.

Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage/DeniseTruscello.net

By Don Chareunsy

Two-time “Dancing With the Stars” pro-dancer champion Cheryl Burke hosted Tao a Go Go, in which 50 contestants competed for $15,000, at Tao in the Venetian on Thursday Night. Burke dined at the restaurant before heading upstairs to oversee the sexy competition.

As the contest narrowed to the Final Two, the dancers took shots of Hpnotiq Harmonie before competing in the final round. Heidi Riego won the grand prize of $10,000, and last year’s winner, Donyell Browne, placed second.

Taking over a VIP table on the dance floor, Burke chatted with Olympic and “DWTS” champion Apolo Ohno, who was at a nearby table. (Ohno won Season 4 of the hit ABC series with Julianne Hough).

At sister hotspot Lavo in the Palazzo, GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich dined with his wife and guests in the private dining room. Also at Lavo: MC Hammer, whom Gingrich invited into the room to say hello.

Drew Carey, in town for his Improv-A-Ganza at MGM Grand, partied in the Boom Box Room at Marquee in the Cosmopolitan, and Kathy Kinney, his co-star on “The Drew Carey Show” and at MGM Grand, joined the funnyman and host of “The Price Is Right.”

Don Chareunsy is editor of VegasDeLuxe.com and arts and entertainment editor of LasVegasSun.com.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

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